


Asterisms

by dotCassieopeia



Category: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Genre: Cuddles, Cuties, Fluff, M/M, Stargazing, alien boyfriend, happy feels, sad feels, star-crossed lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-23
Updated: 2014-02-23
Packaged: 2018-01-13 13:09:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1227577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dotCassieopeia/pseuds/dotCassieopeia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shinji, and his alien boyfriend Kaworu, go stargazing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Asterisms

**Author's Note:**

> The idea behind this is that Shinji knows that Kaworu isn't human. He accepts it, finds it cool and hey, how many people can say that their boyfriend is an alien from the moon? This may or many not become a series of short stories about these two, but we will have to see.
> 
> Also this is my first fanfic, yaaay~

'Come on, Shinji!' Kaworu's voice carried from atop of the hill down to the base.

The night was crisp, the lights were low, the stars were bright in the inky sky, and the moon was new. It was truly the perfect night for star gazing. From their location, they were able to see much more than a few stars; they could see entire galaxies and nebulas.

'I'm coming, I'm coming,' Shinji puffed, careful of his footing as he made his way up the unnecessarily steep hill. How Kaworu managed to get up there so fast was beyond him. 'How did I get stuck carrying everything?'

Kaworu laughed and hurried down to where he stood. He grabbed the backpack from his shoulders and carried it back to the top, Shinji following behind. He set the bag down by his feet and looked up to the sky, a gentle smile creasing his lips.

Shinji unfolded a picnic blanket and laid it out for them on the ground. He flicked the corners down, smoothed it out and pulled his shoes off before sitting down in the middle. When Kaworu joined him, sitting with their thighs pressed together, Shinji pulled another blanket from the bag and wrapped it around the two of them.

'Nice night out, isn't it?' Kaworu asked, looking up towards the heavens, his smile never leaving his face.

Shinji couldn't help but smile in return, 'It is.' He pulled a thermos out of the backpack and set it down in front of them. 'I wish it was a bit warmer, though.'

They had been planning this for weeks; for when the weather was still and the moon was hidden in the shadow. Even though it was nearing the end of winter, it was still cold. They chose to go out in the winter time to see the constellations that were asleep during the warmer months. It was easier to stargaze in the summer time because the temperature wasn't so low.

'I wish the moon was out.'

'If the moon was out, we wouldn't be able to see the stars properly,' Shinji pointed out. He noticed Kaworu's expression changed, and what he saw, made him laugh. 'Are you... pouting?' Kaworu pursed his lips in response, and Shinji laughed. 'Why are you sad? We see the moon all the time!'

Kaworu turned his gaze to him and shrugged. 'Sometimes I feel homesick,' he said gently.

Shinji, taken aback, cocked his head to the side ever so gently. 'You'll get to go back one day.'

'I hope so. I enjoy my time on Earth, and I enjoy my time with you, but I do miss being up on the moon.'

Shinji took his hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. It made him a little bit sad knowing that Kaworu wanted to go home. Part of him felt a twinge of jealousy. Being on the moon was lonely, where on Earth he had friends. What was so special about the moon that Kaworu wanted to go back so bad? He knew it was Kaworu's home, but nobody would be able to visit if he was up there.

Kaworu sensed the change in Shinji's demeanour. 'Hey...' he nudged his arm and offered a warm smile. 'Don't get so upset over this. It is not like I wouldn't be thinking about you the entire time I'm up there.'

Shinji bit back a retort, casting his gaze somewhere else.

With a sigh, Kaworu turned his attention back to the sky. They grew into a silence, and even though the two were feeling mixed emotions about the moon, it wasn't uncomfortable. They sat together, hand in hand and bodies pressed against each other to share the warmth.

The silence between the two began to ebb away as the minutes ticked on. Kaworu pointed to a tiny, bright light that was making its way across the night sky. 'There's a shooting star!' His voice was excited, and despite feeling a little down, Shinji couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. 'There is another one!'

Shinji looked up in time to see it fade away. He noticed another light, this one a little brighter and moving quicker. 'Is that one?'

Kaworu shook his head, 'That is a satellite. They are very similar in appearance.'

'Oh! What about that one?' Shinji pointed as a light passed by a bright white star.

'It is! See how it's moving at a different pace, and it is not as bright as the other one? It is not always foolproof, but it is an easy way to tell the difference between shooting star and a satellite.'

Shinji was grinning by this point. He always enjoyed how happy the night sky made Kaworu. It wasn't just the moon, it was everything about it. There had been countless times where he found him sitting on the balcony at random hours of the night, just looking up at the sky through eyes filled with wonder. It always brought warmth to Shinji's heart, seeing his dear Kaworu so engrossed with the stars.

Kaworu draped his arm across Shinji's shoulders and pulled him in close. 'I want to take you to the moon with me. I don't know how, but I want you to come.'

Shinji watched him, smile faltering. 'Kaworu...'

Kaworu pressed their foreheads together, 'Would you go to the moon with me, Shinji? The Earth looks beautiful from there.'

Shinji hesitated, weighing his options. If he went, he would be able to see something very few humans have. He would be able to stay with Kaworu, which was something he longed for. If he stayed behind, he would be losing Kaworu for an indefinite time, something he wasn't sure if he was ready for. They had been together for a long time, and losing that familiarity was something he didn't want.

Kaworu grounded Shinji, kept him from straying too far from reality. Even when they first met, Shinji almost instantly began to open up to the other boy, something he had never done with anybody. He let the walls of his heart to be pried open with Kaworu's kindness. From that point on, the two were inseparable, hardly ever apart for long.

'I-I,' Shinji started, inflating with indecision. 'I-I'll go to the moon with you, Kaworu!'

Kaworu watched him in surprise, but his face soon shifted back to his smile. 'Thank you, Shinji. That means a lot to me,' he said softly.

Shinji smiled in return, picking up the thermos. 'I-I don't want you to have all the fun, after all,' he said as he opened the canister. In truth, he just didn't want to lose him.

Kaworu held the little thermos cup, 'I am in no rush to go back. We need to figure out how you will even breathe up there.'

Shinji poured some hot cocoa, and once the cup was filled, sealed the canister. 'Y-Yeah, that might be an important issue to look at before I traipse the moon with you.'

Kaworu laughed, careful not to spill the hot cocoa. He took a sip, licked his lips and passed it to Shinji. 'Did you add cinnamon this time?' he asked as Shinji took the cup.

'Just a little bit. Do you like it?' he asked and took a sip.

'It's very nice,' Kaworu said, taking the cup back for more. He went back to watching the sky, eyes following a few stars, as if he was searching for him. What followed next perplexed Shinji; Kaworu reached his hand out, as if to grab a handful of the tiny glittering gems, but folded his fingers into his palm, except his index finger. Shinji watched his hand as it traced a triangle in the air, then followed it as it dropped back to Kaworu's lap.

'What?'

'It's the Summer Triangle,' Kaworu said. When he noticed Shinji's expression was even more confused than before, he inhaled deep. 'It is the asterism of the Star-Crossed Lovers. The three stars of the Summer Triangle are of Altair from Aquila the Eagle, Deneb from Cygnus the Swan, and Vega from Lyra the Lyre.

'The two lovers; Orihime, the daughter of Emperor Tantei, and Hikoboshi, who lived across the River of Heavens, are only able to meet each other on the seventh day of the seventh month.'

Shinji nodded, looking at the three stars. Kaworu took his hand, closed his hand around his, and guided his finger to each of the stars, pointing out each one, 'Orihime is the star Vega; Hikoboshi is the star Altair; and the River of Heaven is the Milky Way.'

'What happened to them?' Shinji asked, continuing to look up at the asterism.

'Orihime was saddened by having spent her time weaving clothes for her father, missing her chance to fall in love. Emperor Tantei saw this, and arranged a marriage for her with Hikoboshi. The two fell in love and were very happy, but Orihime began to neglect her weaving. Emperor Tantei was angered by this, and forced the two apart. They would only be allowed to see each other once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh month. If Orihime didn't give her best to weaving, Emperor Tantei may make it rain, causing the River to Flood. The boatman, who would take Orihime to Hikoboshi, would not be able to make the trip.'

'That's really sad,' Shinji sighed.

'Which is why Tanabata is in existence; the Festival of Stars. It is to honour them, and the people hope to see the two together for another year.'

A frown creased Shinji's lips as he sat in thought. 'If I stayed on the Earth--'

'Then you would be my Orihime.'

'But--'

Kaworu leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to his forehead. 'You will always be my Orihime, Shinji.'

Shinji didn't say anything, just watched the other boy. After a moment, he sighed in defeat and bowed his head.

'What's wrong?' Kaworu asked, concerned written on his face.

Shinji just shook his head. He was smiling,'Thank you, Kaworu. You will always be my Hikoboshi.'

With a sigh of relief, Kaworu set the empty cup of cocoa down and pulled Shinji in close again. The two continued to sit, staring up at the night sky. They remained silent, save for the comment on shooting stars or general trivia on the constellations, asterism and other planetary objects. It was a wonderful night, sitting there watching the sky together. One Shinji wished could last forever.

**Author's Note:**

> If I got any of the details wrong about the Star-Crossed lovers, please let me know and I'll be sure to fix it!


End file.
